Hook, Line, and Sinker
by JIN'n'GUICE
Summary: Angela thinks back on her life, wondering when things had become so good. And almost instantly, the silver haired man she was proud to call her husband, came to mind. Rated M for possible future lemon  DISCONTINUED: For now. While I work on another piece, I hope to regain some form of inspiration to finish this one
1. Mr Fisherman

**Hi there everyone! JnG here, with her new fan-fiction! *shing!**sparkle**spirit fingers* I've been stuck on Harvest Moon for the longest time now, and the amount of fan-fiction for the wonderful game is absolutely maddening! So, I've decided to write up a series of short stories (not exactly one shots) for each Bachelor. I would write up a few stories for my favorite Bachelorettes, but writing in a male's P.O.V is rather hard. ^_^; Sooo, I'll stick to doing what I know best. Mean comments are a waste of time, so, don't waste your time. But critiques are always nice.**

**Toby x Angela**

Chase x Angela

Luke x Angela

Calvin x Angela

Jin x Angela

Owen x Angela

Julius x Angela

Gil x Angela

Wizard x Angela

**^Just so you guys know what all I'm doing and the bolded pairings just mean that their stories are complete^ If requested, once I've finished with all of the pairings, I will go back and add a lemon extra chapter to them. ;) We shall see now won't me? This first chappy is a little short, but I promise, they'll get longer. Enjoy!**

Angela sat back on her haunches. "Finally! I can't stand much more of this heat." She said, wiping sweat from her brow. Although the young rancher had been living on her farm for almost 2 years now, she could never, and probably never will, get accustomed the sweltering heat of the summer season. Personally, she couldn't wait until winter finally hit. It may be bad for the farming business, but getting to have an excuse for snuggling with your husband all day long was always a bonus. When it's sticky and hot, touching each other at all would just be unethical! Speaking of her husband, she wondered where he had run off to, their two children in tow. Dismissing the thought almost completely, confident in the silver haired man's parenting skills; Angela went into her coop and sat amongst her chickens.

The connection she shared with her fouls perplexed the other town's folk, and earned her the title, "Chicken Whisperer". It would seem as if the girl preferred her feathered friends over the company of another human any day! Her first chicken, Harriet, wobbled over to her and sat in her lap. It was amazing how long the chicken lived. She even walked around the farm as if she owned the place! Angela started to absently stroke the bird's feathers, the silky cool texture contrasting nicely with her warm hands. Her mind wondered back to her, currently missing, family. When did life become so good? When did everything become so easy? She smiled a little, looking down at the simple wedding band on her finger, a single, moderately sized diamond in the middle. She couldn't have asked for a life more perfect than the one Toby provided for her. It was all because of him that she could smile for no reason at all.

_Angela wondered into Flute Fields, taking in the gorgeous scenery before her. In the city, she never had a yard, or seen many trees. But here, she could look over the entire area, with not a ridiculously tall building in sight to block the wonderful view. She breathed in the fresh air, scents of grass and freshly made chicken feed filled her senses to the brim. She was going to love farm life. After receiving a cow from the nice gentleman from Horn Ranch, and accidentally witnessing a family argument, Angela headed down the path opposite of the one that lead to Horn Ranch. Despite her normal, cautious nature, she walked past the rather shady looking watermill and down to the river's bank. It was almost as sad as the soil at her farm. But, it was still a gorgeous sight. No trash in the pristine water, like in the city. She could hardly believe how different the two worlds were. And she loved the change in scenery. She didn't see the silver haired man fishing when she walked to the water's edge. The sound of someone lightly humming caught her attention, and on pure instinct, she was ready to attack. "It's okay, calm down. I'm no threat. I'm just a fisherman." The boy said, not once looking in her direction. She lowered her guard a little, studying the man before her. From what she could tell, he was pretty slim, and rather tall with long, lightly muscled arms. His face was handsome, and he had moon silver hair that fell messily about his head. And in all the 10 seconds of "meeting" the strange person, she hadn't once seen him with his eyes opened. You would assume he was asleep, with a grin like that on his face. Heat rose to her cheeks. 'He's . . .really hot.' Angela thought, not hearing the boy call out to her. _

_"You must be new here." The boy said, standing to get a better look at the new comer. "I'm Toby," he said. Wait a minute . . . did he just sparkle? "- it's a pleasure to meet you. . ." he started. He must have realized he had never asked for her name. "I'm sorry," he said, laughing softly. "What was your name again?" he asked politely. Pink dusted Angela's pale face yet again, and she looked anywhere but into his face. "I'm A-Angela." She stammered, fumbling a little over her own name. How pathetic! He smiled at her, perfect teeth gleaming a little, his eyes arching up to match his expression. "Well, it's nice to meet you Angela. We should go fishing some time." He said, placing a hand to his chest as he spoke. Angela smiled at him, bowing slightly. "Thank you, I'd love to. But, I don't have a fishing pole yet." She said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. He thought for a minute, before his eyes cracked open slightly in thought. "You can have my old rod. It's a little worn, but it still does the trick." He said, before his eyes slid back closed as he smiled. She could have died. She only caught a glimpse at his hidden orbs, but she was sure they were either gold, or chartreuse. 'How . . . exotic' she thought, absently taking the pole and bowing in thanks. "Well, I have to get back to my uncle's shop. It was a pleasure meeting you." Toby said, flashing her one of his pretty smiles before walking back up the trail whistling. He disappeared long before she uttered a small goodbye. From that moment, Angela knew she was hooked._


	2. The Moon and Ocean

**As promised, this chapter is longer than the first one. Read, review, and enjoy! :_) _**

**_-JnG  
><em>**

_Before she knew it, Angela and the silver haired fisherman she met by the river saw each other on a regular basis. He would fish in the lake on her farmland in the mornings, and greet her when she started her farm chores for the day. She would always stop by the river on her way to Marimba Farm to see if her odd friend was fishing in his usual spot. Looking for the man almost became second nature. And when he wasn't fishing, he would sit against the walls of her barn and chat with her as she tended to her flourishing crops. He was soft spoken at times, but liked to smile and laugh a lot. He was so carefree. A truly free spirit. It was almost maddening how someone could take life so lightly. But, as soon as the fingers of annoyance would crawl up her chest, they were quickly washed away with one of his dazzling smiles. How could someone have such a gorgeous smile? She had even surprised him for his birthday, bringing him lots of shining sushi. He smiled then, and twirled her around before setting her down to attack his present. "Hey Angela," Toby said, twiddling a blade of grass between his thumb and pointer finger as he watched (or what she assumed he was doing behind his closed eyes) his farming friend water her cosmos. She hmm'd unintelligibly, tending to her flowers carefully. "Want to go to the Inn for lunch today?" he asked, closed eyes still looking at the skittering figure. She stopped in her tracks, looking back at her silver haired friend, who only smiled a small smile at her. She looked to the sky, wiping her brow. By the sun, it should be around 1 or 2 in the afternoon. Her farm could wait a little until she got back. And besides, she was getting hungry. The weeds could certainly hold tight until she put some food into her body. "Sure!" She chirped, before putting her watering can away and walking with her friend into town. _

_The silence that settled between them was comfortable, a small breeze playing with their hair. It was such a gorgeous day for a walk, and being with a good friend just made the farmer smile even wider. They talked for a while, before they reached the door of the Inn. Colleen greeted them both with a smile. "Good afternoon you two." She piped her mellowed tone much more tolerable than her daughter's high-pitched squeak. Angela and Toby sat down at a table next to a window, and continued to chat softly. "I've always loved to fish. Ever since I can remember, I've always loved the thrill of a fish on the line!" He said, his whole face coming alive as he told his favorite fishing stories. And Angela listened intently to every one of them. They both laughed, and Toby blushed in embarrassment. "My uncle can be so harsh sometimes, but he didn't have to hit me with a fish in public." He said, as their mirth died down. Angela smiled at him. "You have such an interesting past. A lot more interesting than mine." She commented, smiling at Colleen when she sat their plates in front of them. Angela took a nibble of her Sashimi and almost fell over. Her cheeks tinted red as she munched on the delicious fish. "It's amazing!" She said dreamily, eagerly taking another bite. Toby laughed at her reaction. "Yeah, the food here is pretty good. I didn't know you liked food this much." He commented, taking a piece of his sushi and popping it into his mouth. Angela blinked at him. "I adore food. I love tasting new dishes. New flavors. It's all so exciting!" She said, taking a sip of her water. Toby smiled. "Well, if you feel that strongly about it, I can cook you fish when you want. I'm not as great as Chase, but I can hold my own." He said, bragging jokingly. Angela's eyes lit up. "Really? You would? Thank you Toby!" She said happily, finishing her meal. After they were both done eating, Angela reached to take some money out of her pocket. Toby shook his head, before handing some cash to Colleen, thanking her for the meal. The brunette looked at the boy, who only smiled at her. "It's fine. My treat!" He said, reassuringly. She hesitated a little bit, but all he did was smile at her and walked with her out of the Inn. He walked her back to her home as the sun began to set farther behind the horizon. She hadn't realized they'd sat there and talked for the better part of the afternoon. Those weeds will just have to wait a little while longer she concluded. "I had a great time with you today Angela." Toby said, smiling down at his smaller friend. The farmer beamed up at him. "So did I! You should come over tomorrow. I'll cook us some lunch to pay you back for the meal." She said, smiling sweetly. He cracked his eyes open slightly, and grinned down at her. "I would love to." He said, before sliding his eyes closed. 'Yep, they were definitely some shade of green.' Angela thought to herself, blushing lightly. She couldn't help by wonder how many people Toby showed his eyes to, excluding his uncle and cousin of course. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow Angela." Toby said, waving at his friend as he turned towards the path back to town. "Goodnight!" She called after him, watching him as he walked back into town for a short while. She sighed, opening her door and barely taking off her shoes before she plopped into bed, a goofy smile on her face. He was just so intriguing. How could one person love to fish that much would forever boggle her mind. And the fact that he used to get in trouble often as a child surprised her as well. There was so much to this one man. It made him seem so mysterious, even though he claims to be the average fisherman. His talent for popping up out of nowhere said otherwise as well. She slipped into sleep happily, thinking about the silver haired boy. _

_The next morning, Angela grabbed a shower before heading out to her field. Her flowers were coming along nicely, and her strawberry plants were thriving. She smiled at her handy work before filling her watering pale and setting to work. After working in the fields for a while, she put her hands on her hips and admired her work. There wasn't a weed in sight, and her cherry tree's looked mighty fetching with their pink blossoms. She loved it when everything was organized. She set some of the strawberries into the shipping bin and headed on over to her coop and barn. Her favorite little chick, Harriet, chirped at her and rushed to her feet, pecking lightly at her work boots. "It's nice to see you too Harriet." Angela said, placing feed in front of the bird and walked over to her barn. Her calf was growing slowly, but nicely. She petted the cow lightly before taking out her brush. "Good morning Bessy. I hope you had a good night." Angela said to the cow, who moo'ed in delight as she was being brushed. Angela sometimes felt silly for talking to her animals. But, she dismissed the thought and set some food in the bin in front of her calf and walked back to her house. She took another shower, and put on a tee-shirt and shorts, with a mint green tank top over her shirt. As a last minute idea before she started to cook, she went out back to her field and gathered a few cosmos. She heard the distant sound of someone whistling, and she turned to see her silver haired fisherman walking up the path to her house. "Good afternoon Angela." Toby said, smiling at his friend. "Hi Toby! Come on in, I was just starting to cook lunch." She said, walking back over to her house with the flowers and Toby in tow. She sat the flowers down onto her counter, and took a bag of rice down from the cabinet. "Make yourself at home." She said cheerfully before she put the rice on to cook. She took a vase from the cabinet under the sink and filled with water, setting the cosmos down into the liquid before putting the vase in the middle of the table. "Mmh, Cosmos. They're my favorite." Toby commented, admiring the pink flowers. _

_Angela looked over at him as he toyed with a soft pink petal. "I didn't know you liked flowers. I thought they weren't manly." Angela said, trying to make her voice sound gruff as she said the "manly" part of her comment. Toby laughed, looking over to his friend. "I don't really care about things like that. I like what makes me happy. Cosmos are just so peaceful." He said, the light smile still on his face. Angela admired his confidence. They chatted for a little while as she started to sauté 2 of the prettier Char that she had caught earlier that week. "I remembered something you said while we were at the Inn." Toby said, now standing behind her leaning against the counter as he watched her cook. Angela looked at him confused. She couldn't remember her saying something very interesting, or interesting enough to remember. "Oh? And what did I say?" Angela asked confusion evident in her tone. Toby folded his arms over his chest, looking down at his sandaled feet. "You said that my past was much more interesting than yours. Why is that, if you don't mind my asking?" he asked carefully. Angela stopped momentarily. She had never really talked about her past before. "Well," she started, plating up the fish with the rice she had steaming on the stove. "My father passed away when I was younger. After that, my mother got really sick, and she had a nanny look after me. My nanny was really strict. She didn't let me play outside on nice days. And after my mother passed away, the woman took all of the money and left. I haven't seen her nor heard from her sense. I was young at the time, so I didn't know what to do. I didn't know of any other family, and a 12 year old wouldn't make it on the streets. But, with the money my mother left me, I made it out okay. And when I was finally 18, I moved here." She said, setting the plates onto the table. Toby stood in his spot. He was ashamed at the way he complained about his life just yesterday. "I'm sorry to hear that." Toby said, speaking softly. Angela just looked at him, and shook her head with a sad smile. "Don't even worry about it. Now, come and eat before the food gets cold." She said playfully. _

_They ate until they had their fill, and sat on her couch chatting away. She could see the sun setting through her window and gasped. "Oh Toby, it's getting late. I hope I didn't keep you from doing anything important." Angela said, rubbing the back of her head. Toby just shook his head, smiling at her. "No worries. Business was slow at the shop today, so my uncle told me I could take the rest of the day off." He said cheerfully. The farmer sighed in relief. She absolutely hated feeling like she was being a burden. Toby looked back over to the window, and shot up from the couch. "Come on Angela! I wanna show you something." He said excitedly before grabbing her wrist and dragged her out of her house. She giggled lightly, trying to keep up with the taller figure's long strides. Streaks of pink and orange and twinges of the remaining blue littered the sky as he drug her past Town Hall and over towards the Fishery. "Toby, what is it?" Angela asked, blinking up at the taller figure. "You'll see!" he said excitedly. By the time they made it to the lighthouse, the sun had set more behind the horizon and the night sky started to chase the traces of dusk away. Toby led the girl into the darkened building, and up the flight of stairs that was once blocked off. "Toby, are we supposed to be in here?" Angela asked in a hushed tone, covering her nose in fear of all of the dust. He shrugged. "Probably not. But since the light house isn't working right now, I'm sure it'll be fine." He said, his carefree tone ringing through the stairwell. Once they finally made it to the top, Toby opened the door that awaited them at the top of the staircase. It led out onto a balcony like structure, where the once lit light of the light house sat at the very top of the building. Toby walked them over to a side where they could look over the moonlit ocean and the night sky. Angela's breath hitched. She had never seen a view quite like this before. In the city, you could never see any stars because of all of the bright lights. But here, you can see nothing but the vast expanse of the midnight blue heavens. The oceans waves kicked up a gentle, salty breeze that chilled her skin and she shivered lightly. Toby pulled her closer to his body, rubbing a hand up and down her arm. They sat in silence, admiring the view. "Thank you Toby, for bringing me here." Angela said softly, afraid that if she took her eyes from the ocean it would all melt into nothingness. Toby looked down at her and smiled. "I'm glad you like it." He said, pulling her even closer. Angela looked up at him, and immediately, her face was as red as a tomato. His eyes were fully opened. The orbs were bright green, and almond shaped, just like she thought they would be. Before she knew it, their faces where inches apart, and rich emerald gems were staring deeply into pools of chocolate. Her breath caught in her throat, and if it were even possible, she was sure that her face darkened in color. "U-um, Toby?" she asked nervously. He didn't acknowledge her, and brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face. "You're cute when you blush." He said, his voice a few octaves lower than his usual smooth tone. And he brought their lips together in a gentle, sweet kiss._


	3. First Fight

**Another chapter for you lovely people. :) The another chapter will probably be up tomorrow. Only a few more chappies left before I close this story up and get started on the next couple. So, like always, please read, review, and enjoy.**

**-JnG**

**P.S. -Toby was the first bachelor I married in the Tree of Tranquility and Animal Parade Harvest Moon games. He will, of course, always be my first HM Love. ^o^ Any ways, please enjoy!**

"Takashi!" a voice called from somewhere outside of the coop. Angela snapped out of her day dream, and rushed to the coop door, instantly recognizing the voice. "Daddy!" a little girl sniffled, her silver hair billowing out around her as she ran to the man sitting a few yards from the lake. "Takashi snapped the line on my fishing pole." The child whimpered, presenting the pole to her father. Angela walked over to the two, and scanned the area for her son. "Kasumi," a smooth voice said. "Your baby brother didn't mean to snap your line." Toby said soothingly, placing his hand on the top of the little girl's head. "Yes he did!" she huffed. "I don't like him anymore!" She said, crossing her arms in front of her chest, puffing her cheeks out. Angela smiled at the scene. The little girl reminded her of how stubborn she could be herself sometimes. Toby sighed, shaking his head. "Now Kasumi, that isn't very nice. Takashi is still little. He probably doesn't even know why you're upset." The man said, a small frown on his face. Kasumi cracked her closed eyes open a little bit, green gems gleaming. She hadn't thought of that. "Takashi looks up to you. I'm sure he doesn't like to see you upset. None of us do." Toby said, standing to guide the little girl over to the smaller boy gazing down into the water with curious eyes. But of course! She was a big kid, and he was practically a baby. Kasumi sniffled, before going over to her little brother. "Takashi, I'm sorry for getting so mad." She said in a hushed tone. The little boy looked up from the water, a calm expression on his face. "Iss okay 'sumi." He said, picking over his broken words carefully, unaware that his big sister was mad in the first place. The girl smiled, before the two began a little conversation of their own, pointing to different things in the murky water.

Toby smiled at the sight, before turning to his wife. He walked over to her and brought her into a loose hug. "Our children are amazing." He said, laughter in his tone. "Kasumi's already just as stubborn as you are." He chuckled, leaning down to kiss Angela on the forehead. She smiled up at him. "And Takashi doesn't give a rat's ass about anything. Just like his daddy." She said, smirking at his pout. "Aww, now you're just being mean." He said, looking back to their children, who were now looking like they were considering getting into the water. "Don't you two even think about it!" Angela hollered past him, frightening the two children a little. She escaped from her husband's grasp and crept towards the kids eerily. "Or else the lake monster is gonna get ya!" she said. The children squealed happily before running away, often looking back to make sure that their odd mother was a safe distance away. Angela chased her children around their farm land, giggling and teasing them as she got closer and closer. Toby shook his head, a wide smile plastered on his face. He could remember when Angela said that she never wanted to have children. He always knew she would change her mind, but this was quite the development. Now a days, if the children were ever running wildly throughout the house, it was because their equally silly momma were chasing them. After a few months of being married, Angela vowed to never have children. _"With my farm work, what time would I have to properly raise a child?"_ he could recall her saying. It was only a short while after that, that the couple found out she was pregnant. 

_Toby knocked on the bathroom door softly. "Go away!" was the curt, muffled reply. Toby jiggled the door knob a little, already knowing that his wife had locked the door. "Open the door Angela." He pleaded. She immediately locked herself in the bathroom after coming home from the clinic. "No chance in hell! This is your fault!" She cried, and something hard hit the door. He assumed she threw something, probably hoping it would magically go through the door and hit him. Toby sighed, before sitting Indian style in front of the closed door. If she wasn't going to come out, he was just going to sit and wait until she did. Her stomach would start to disagree with her stubborn decision sooner or later. Before long, he heard soft weeping and sniffling coming from inside the small room. He stood abruptly, messing with the door knob again hoping that she had decided to unlock it. "Angela please! Open the damn door!" He said loudly, the still locked door keeping him away from his crying wife. The door swung open, and Angela looked him in the eye. Her eyes were a little red, and tear stains littered her pink cheeks. "Don't you realize what you've done?" She shouted up at her husband. He cringed, not used to the smaller figure shouting. "I'm going to be force to bring something into this world that I'm not ready for yet, JUST because you were too damn lazy to go out and get some damn condoms?" She said, throwing random things at the silver haired man. "Do you realize how stupid this whole damn thing is?" She continued. "If you weren't so fucking lazy, we wouldn't be in this mess!" she shouted, looking for more amo. Toby took a roll of tissue to the face with an 'oof!' before grabbing his wife's wrists. _

_"I'm sorry!" he said, looking deeply into her eyes. "Do you think I'm ready for this either? I made a mistake, and I'm sorry. But what's done is done. I'm ready to learn, to accept this responsibility. What other choice do we have?" He asked, his voice raised._ _The girl's eyes widened. Toby never raised his voice. At anyone, about anything. Tears brimmed into Angela's eyes, her throat tight with the unshed sadness. Toby let go of her wrists, and as soon as she was free, the small farmer rushed to him, grasping fistfuls of his shirt and cried into his chest. Surprised, he stumbled a little, but wrapped his arms around her small shaking frame, and buried his face into her hair. Her body shook with wave after wave of tears. And he pulled her closer to him, rubbing soothing circles into her back. She sniffled, before speaking. "Toby, I'm just so scared." She whimpered, sniffling again before raising her head to look into her husband's face. Tears gathered into bright green eyes as well, and she slowly swiped her thumb underneath one of them, ridding his face of the uncharacteristic moisture. Toby smiled down at her, and she cupped his face with both of her small hands. He leaned into her touch, smile broadening. "We can do this Angela." He said softly, gazing into her own frightened eyes. "But what if," she started, before he brought a slim finger to her lips to cut her off. "Whatever happens, happens. We will make it through this." He said, placing a hand to her stomach. "You're going to be an amazing mother Angela. I just know it." He said softly, before replacing his finger with his lips, kissing her deeply. She leaned into the kiss, wrapping her arms around the taller man's neck and bringing him closer to her, deepening the passionate kiss. They parted, the need for air becoming too great and he kissed her forehead. "I loved you so much Angela." He said, running his fingers through her chocolate locks. She smiled, pulling the man into a hug and nuzzled into his strong chest. "I love you too Toby." She replied happily, still sniffling. _


	4. Rice War

**Yet another chapter for you all! I hope you guys enjoy this one. And I hope no one minds the recurring flashbacks in this fan-fic. Because it is so short, it didn't feel right to me if I didn't stick pieces of the couples history in there. So, like always, read, review, and enjoy.**

"Toby? Are you okay?" a distant voice asked. The fisherman shook his head, chasing the fond memory away. He loved to think back on the important times he shared with his wife, who was currently wondering if she should call Dr. Jin. He smiled at the farmer, taking her hand in his. "I'm fine love. Where are the children?" he asked, squeezing her hand as they walked to their front door. "They're having lunch right now." She said, proud that she got them to sit down to eat. When they opened the door, both of the silver haired children were covered in sticky rice. Takashi's eyes widened as they were caught, and Kasumi's hand was perched just so, ready to throw another wad of rice at her baby brother, wondering why he commenced the temporary cease fire. "What?" she asked, a giggle tangled in her words, before sliding her own emerald eyes open and looking over her shoulder at her startled father, and seething mother.

Her eyes widened to match her brother's, and the ball of rice slipped from her hand and plopped onto the floor. The whole dining room was an absolute mess. Bits of rice could be seen on the family portraits, some of the kitchen appliances, not to mention, all over their children. Toby's eyes slipped open to look at both of his children, and they cowered under his firm gaze. "My, what a mess you two have made. And here I thought we could trust you both alone, for only a few short minutes!" He said, shaking his head in disapproval. Takashi lowered his head, ashamed. Kasumi stared right back into her father's eyes, before they lowered as well. Angela hadn't said a word. She loved playing with her pups, and all of their antics kept the house alive and buzzing, but if there was one thing she strived to do, was to keep her house as spotless as it could be, with a 7 year old and a 4 year old running around. She could almost cry at the sight. It would take days to get all of the rice out of the children's hair, and if they went full on rice mêlée, she'll be finding stray pieces of the stuff for weeks.

She sulked over to her children, standing in between the two before lightly smashing their faces into their plates, successfully coating them with the remaining food that was in front of them. She had caught Takashi with his mouth wide open like a freshly caught fish, and Kasumi's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. When Angela was satisfied with her work, she took her hands of the backs of their heads and watched them as they jerked their heads up, looking at the mother with astonishment in their eyes, slinging more rice every which way. A tremor shot through her body, and before she knew it, she broke down in all out laughter. Toby caught himself chuckling as well before he joined his insane wife in her hysterical mirth. Kasumi looked at her brother, who was picking rice off of his face and out of his hair. It surely wasn't the reaction they expected from their parents. Angela, holding her sides to help quiet her giggles, wiped a tear from her eye.

"You two need to go wash up. We're going over to Uncle Kasey and Aunt Renee's house for a visit." She said, still snickering at their surprised expressions. And like the moment had never happened, the two youngster's eyes lit up with excitement before running into the bathroom to rid their hair and faces of their lunch. Both Toby and Angela made quick work of cleaning their dining room, before Angela found something, that made her twitch. "What the hell? How did they get rice under the damn table?" she exclaimed, looking up at the underside of her dining table to see more of the little white grains. She fumed, scrubbing off the offending substance, as Toby chuckled at his wife. She huffed, looking up at him from under the table. "Go wash your damn kids. I'm pretty sure their still sticky and only did a half ass job of cleaning themselves." She said, returning to the task at hand. "Yes ma'am." Toby said jokingly, before walking down the hall towards the bathroom, a little too much giggling for comfort could be heard coming from the room. "AND MAKE SURE TO GET BEHIND THEIR DAMN EARS!" She hollered. Everything was finally clean and the family made their way down the path towards flute fields. Angela still seethed, almost glaring daggers into the backs of her children's heads. Toby laughed at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. He knew she wouldn't do a thing to harm a hair on their heads. Not after what they went through to get them here.

_It felt like years had passed before the time had finally come. Angela woke the next morning, a cramp like no other forming in her lower stomach. She could barely stand, the pain crippling her, and she sat back onto the bed. Panic in her eyes, she looked for her husband. He wasn't in their kitchen like he usually was in the morning. The pressure in her stomach doubled easily, every time she made the move to lift herself from the bed. She felt dampness between her legs and screamed for Toby. She was horrified, not knowing what the substance could be. 'Is it blood?' she questioned to herself, but she couldn't bring herself to check. She refused to lose this baby. Not after the many, long nights of no sleep, worrying about how she would manage her farm and a child. Angela would sit to her dining table for hours, contemplating her situation, most times until the sun peeked above the horizon. But with no one for miles, and a missing husband, Angela surely feared the worst. "Oh goddess," she gasped, as another strong cramp moved through her body. "Toby!" she hollered again, only hoping that the man could hear her cries, wherever he was. She clenched her eyes and teeth shut, awaiting the end of this wave of pain. "Angela? What's wrong?" A worried voice asked. The farmer didn't trust her voice to speak. As soon as she let go of the control she had over herself, she was sure she would scream. And that wouldn't help the situation in the slightest. So she cracked a brown eye open, the worried face of her husband in her line of sight. She could have cried, overjoyed that someone had come to help her. Whimpering, she stood, and hobbled over to the man who looked down at his wife, horrified. Surely, he was just as afraid as she was. _

_"T-The baby," her voice croaked, broken and pain laden. As soon as she tried to speak, another wave of intense agony washed over her. She clenched her eyes tight again, and grabbed onto fistfuls of his shirt. Toby tried to calm down a little. Him being scared and worried as well would only hurt the situation more. He guided his wife over to the door, and by the time they were half way out of their farmland district, all but a little pain had left his wife's body. At least, enough so that she could walk a little faster. Before long, they made it to the clinic, and the older woman didn't bother with paperwork as she led them to a private room. She didn't need a stack of papers to tell her the young woman had gone into labor. "You'll have to wait in the waiting room Toby." Irene said, her expression calm. He looked back at his wife for reassurance, and she smiled a little at him, before another wave of contractions hit her. He sighed, wishing there was more he could do, but left the two women to wait outside. Hours had passed, and he had heard nothing from the elderly woman. _

_Renee came by, and sat next to her best friend. "I heard the news and came as fast as I could. Is she okay?" She asked worriedly. News spread fast in such a small town. Toby heaved another sigh, and shrug his shoulders. "I don't know. Irene hasn't come out since we arrived." He said, green eyes starring holes into the tile flooring. Renee rubbed his back soothingly, trying to comfort the distraught man. "Everything is going to be fine." She said supportively, before Kasey walked into the clinic. "Hey, did anything happen yet?" the brunette said before sitting down next to his wife. Renee shook her head sadly, and laid her head on his shoulder. Toby lifted himself from the couch and paced. A few more hours passed and Renee got up, kissing Kasey on the forehead. "I should go and pick Riku up from Kathy's. He and Roy had a play date, but I'm sure he's tired by now." She said, looking outside as new snow fell from the sky. "Alright," Kasey said, standing to hug his wife and see her out the door. "I'm staying here. I'll try and keep you posted." He said, smiling as he watched her walk down the street and out of town. He turned back to see Toby sitting again, with his face in his hands. He clapped a strong hand against his shoulder, startling the silver haired man. "Try not to worry too much. After all she's been through, I'm sure she'll pull through just fine." He said brightly, smiling at the other man. Kasey had only met Angela a few weeks after he moved to Castanet, but they instantly shared a strange connection. They were alike in a lot of ways, even with the people they ended up marrying. The two were as thick as thieves, so it was only natural that the older farmer was worried as well. _

_The sun began to set, and Kasey nodded off. Toby looked longingly at the door. How he just wished he could be right next to his wife through the delivery. To hold her hand and tell her everything would be okay. That he was right there next to her. His face fell, thinking about the condition he saw her in that morning. He'd never seen her in so much pain. And she was so strong, trying desperately not to scream, for his sake. She walked into town almost by herself for goddess's sake! He refused to think anything would go wrong. It just couldn't. He wouldn't let it. He didn't know what he would do without the bubbly farmer by his side every day. Or cursing at him for being "so damn lazy" before tackling him into a hug. Waking him up in the morning with many soft kisses all over his face. He ran a hand through his messy silver hair, sighing for the umpteenth time that day. And like a swimmer breaking through the surface of the water for a refreshing breath of air, a cry rang out from behind the door. A baby's cry, loud and clear. Toby released the breath he didn't realize he was holding. It stirred Kasey from his nap, and he ran to stand next to the fisherman, anxiously awaiting the news. Irene soon emerged from the room, closing the door softly behind her. She looked tired, but she smiled at the two men who were searching her face for some sort of answer. Irene cleared her throat before speaking. "The delivery was long, and at times, it seemed as if Angela had given up hope. But, she finally pulled through, and gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Congratulations Toby." She said smiling all the while she spoke. Toby's eyes flew open, tears building up in the green orbs as he laughed, and thanked the older woman for all that she has done. _

_"Can I see them?" He asked, unshed tears hindering his speech a little. She nodded, stepping aside as she opened the door. Toby walked in, and his eyes locked on the tired form of his wife, who was holding a swaddled lump, smiling down into it. She looked up at him, and flashed him a grin. "It's finally over." She said, relief flooding her voice. Toby walked over to the two, and looked down into the bundle. Green eyes stared back into his, and a yawn was released from the child, before her eyes slid back closed. Angela shifted over a little so that her husband could sit on the bed with her. "She's gorgeous." He said breathlessly, a few tears escaping from his eyes. She smiled at him, swiping a thumb under his eye lids to rid his face of the offending moisture. She then offered the child to him, for him to take. "Mind her head." She said softly, as she placed the baby into her husband's arms. He looked down into the child's face and smiled, gently pulling the blankets at the top of her head back to reveal tufts of silvery hair. "She's so beautiful. Thank you, Angela." He said, leaning over to place a kiss on his wife's lips. She smiled, kissing him back before they parted, and ran a finger against her daughter's cheek. "Well, what should we name her?" she asked, biting back a yawn. Toby lifted his head in thought. "What about, Kasumi?" he asked, looking back at his wife. She tilted her head in a bit of confusion. "How'd you come up with that?" She asked, taking the child back into her arms. _

_"Well, I just put our mother's names together. Ka-, from your mother Kaede. And –sumi, from my mother, Ayumi. It's a little jumbled, but it's still there when you think about it." He said, hands flailing about animatedly. Angela giggled at his excitement, but mulled over the name. She didn't know if Toby realized it or not, but Kasumi also meant Mist. He was a fisherman, so she was sure that he'd encountered fog and mist on many occasions. The name was perfect! "I love it." She said happily, moving a finger down the bridge of the youth's nose. Toby beamed at her, and looked down at their daughter. "Kasumi it is then. I'm gonna show her all of my favorite fishing spots when she gets older!" He said, a dreamy smile on his face. Angela giggled, and a soft knock was heard at the door. "Come in!" She said, careful not to wake the child. Renee poked her head into the door, and Kasey's head appeared right beneath hers. Toby ushered them in and over to the bed. Renee cooed at the baby, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh she's stunning Angela!" she said, gasping when the child cracked her eyes open at her. "Well damn, she's lazy before she even turns one. I doubt she was asleep to begin with." Angela huffed, hoping that her work ethic would be the one passed down, and not that of her husbands, or lack thereof. _

_"Hey!" Toby said offended, as the other three laughed. Kasey clapped a hand onto his shoulder, and chuckled. "Ahh, don't sweat it. I get the same thing all the time." He said as Toby hung his head. Irene came in and smiled at the new parents. "I just had a crib sent to your house, as a present for the baby. I know you two will make such fine parents." She said quietly. "Thank you so much again for all that you've done." Toby said, bowing deeply to the older woman. She waved him off, saying she was happy to help, before disappearing back out of the door. A weird, gurgling sound echoed through the room, and heat rose to Angela's cheeks, a fierce blush soon covering her entire face. Renee looked down at her in disbelief. "Only you could be hungry after childbirth." She said, lifting her hands in mock defeat. The men laughed at the farmer's embarrassed expression. "What?" she asked. "My metabolism is probably still used to eating everything in sight!" she said, trying to reason with her friends and husband. The fisherman chuckled, before taking the child in his arms. "Well come on, let's go home." He said, as Renee helped the girl to stand. Kasey followed the couple out of the door, his wife in tow as well. "Hey, I'll cook us up some dinner!" He offered happily. "No." they all chorused, making their way back to the farmlands, Kasey pouting all the way there._


End file.
